Starry Night
by taleanaomi
Summary: With one kind act Hoss gains a friend and an enemy; and helps a young girl find her true family.
1. Chapter 1

Bonanza: One Starry Night

Disclaimer: I do not own Bonanza or anything you recognize. I only own my original storyline, plot and any original characters.

Author's Note: A story that I started a while ago recently picked up and dusted off.

o0o

The Silver Dollar was jam packed that night in Virginia City; but the crowd was silent, all eyes watching the entertainment that had been presented by the owner.

Several hours ago, the owner of the Silver Dollar had been approached by a travelling foreign musical group. The man was dark skinned and had spoken with a thick but understandable accent asking if he and his group would be allowed to play in the saloon.

The owner -needing the business- had agreed. The man had been very happy and at five minutes past seven, he and two other dark skinned men had set up their instruments; small, handheld drums, a flute and another instrument that the owner couldn't identify.

Now as they played, the owner started to cringe. Not that the music was bad; he loved it, how it swirled around him and stirred something inside of him. No, it was what was also being done.

A young girl, a young white girl, was dancing. And not just dancing the waltz either; full on body dancing in his saloon. He knew that the mayor would have something to say about this, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her as the girl spun and stamped in time to music.

Her long, black hair twirled around her face as she spun on one foot. Her arms were bare; the collar of her sleeveless top was low. Her skirt was long and loose; nothing like a respectable lady would wear. Bangles were clasped around her wrists, ankles and they chimed in time to the drums.

None of the men in the saloon could keep from staring, watching the girl as she twirled around; bare feet carrying her across the floor. All of the bargirls were being ignored except for a drink request here and there, and he could see that they were beginning to get annoyed.

Hoss Cartwright was one of the men sitting in the saloon enjoying the different style of music. He looked relaxed, lounging in the chair that was almost too small for him, a glass of beer in one large hand. He watched, enamoured by the way the girl kept time to the music with her feet; heels striking the floor at the same time as the drum.

The owner was pleased when the music stopped and the girl stopped dancing, but something inside of him was disappointed. He wanted her to keep dancing, keep bringing the music alive.

The regular noise of the saloon returned and the bartender went back to serving drinks. The strangers began to prepare for their next number and the girl went back to them from the middle of the floor where she had been dancing.

A drunk cowhand stopped her, grabbing her upper arm. "Leaving so soon, honey? Why don't you have a drink with me?" His voice was slurred, indicating that he had too much to drink.

"Let go of me." The girl said firmly. Her accent was soft, barely there, but enough to give her voice an alluring quality.

The cowhand smiled at hearing it. "A voice like that speaks right to my soul, darling. Come and have a seat." He pulled her towards him, fully intending to yank her into his lap.

"Please." The girl replied in a cool tone as she pulled away from the man. "Let go of me!"

One large hand landed on the shoulder of the drunk cowhand and the man turned to face the angry face of Hoss Cartwright. "Leave the lady alone." Hoss ordered darkly.

The cowhand let go of the girl and she took a couple steps away, rubbing her arm where the cowboy had grabbed her.

"I was just having a bit of fun." The cowhand said lazily before he took a swung at Hoss. Hoss blocked the first punch and then struck back with a blow that sent the cowhand flying into a table, breaking it in half and raining beer and broken glass over the man's head.

Hoss walked over to the counter and set some money on the surface. "Sorry about the mess, Charlie." He told the bartender. "Here's something extra." Hoss turned away to look for the girl. He found her still standing near the doorway.

She stared back at him and then spun on her heel, grabbing her shawl from the chair by the door and walked out of the saloon.

Hoss started after her. "Miss! Miss, wait!"

He found her outside standing by the railing. The white shawl draped around her shoulders to keep out the cool night chill. Even though it was high summer and the days felt like an oven, the nights cooled off enough to make a man glad for his long sleeves.

"Do you want to buy me a drink as well?" The girl asked turning to Hoss. Hoss looked back at her and realized that up close she looked older, closer to Joe's age then the teenager he had originally thought she was.

"No, ma'am." Hoss answered truthfully taking off his hat. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I am unharmed." She turned away from him, facing back to the street.

"Are you sure?" Hoss asked walking forward until he was standing beside her. "He grabbed you pretty hard."

The woman turned back to him, a gentle smile on her lips. "Yes, I am sure. Thank you for your concern, Mr?" She paused and Hoss realized she was asking for his name.

"Cartwright, ma'am. Hoss Cartwright." He replied quickly.

"Hoss." She repeated rolling the name around in her mouth, getting used to the sound. "What an unusual name."

"It's more of a nickname actually." Hoss explained. "It means big, friendly man."

"It suits you." She said with a more genuine smile this time, it reaching her green eyes. Hoss smiled back.

"Daughter! Come back inside!" Someone called from inside the saloon.

The woman turned away from the railing. "Excuse me. I must go back." She started towards the doorway.

"Wait, I don't believe I got your name." Hoss said stopping her just before the doors.

She turned back to him, one hand on the swinging door. "Tara." She told him. "It means star." Then pushing the door open, she vanished back into the saloon.

o0o

The next morning, Ben sat at the dining room table finishing his breakfast. Joe and Adam were already out and it was about eight o'clock before the stairs creaked and his last son came stumbling down, buttoning the last button on his shirt.

Ben stopped eating and watched Hoss walk across the living room towards them.

"Morning, Pa." Hoss said as he noticed his Pa's stare.

"Morning." Ben said setting down his fork. "It's about time you decided to get out of bed."

"Sorry, Pa." Hoss said as he sat down on his chair. "I guess I did stay out longer then I should've." He started to help himself to the beacon.

"I'd say so." Ben said. "You weren't in until well after one. Usually it's Joe I have to drag out of the bed in the morning."

Hoss paused with his fork to his mouth. He knew that tone. He set down his fork. "Oh, Pa! You know how it is. Feller doesn't get much chance to enjoy himself and when he does, he just wants to take it."

"I can understand that." Ben said. "But I hope you can understand how annoyed your brothers felt at having to do _your_ chores this morning."

Hoss looked down at his plate, avoiding eye contact with his father.

"I thought you would." Ben said at seeing Hoss's expression. "There's some work to do on the north fence with morning. There are a couple of fence boards that have fallen down and I need someone to go up there and fix it. Seeing as you were the last one up this morning, I think you just volunteered yourself for the job."

Hoss picked up his fork again. "Yes, Pa." He replied.

o0o

Several hours later, after a lot of sweat and trouble, Hoss was practically finished the task. He decided to ride back to the ranch and finish after some well deserved lunch.

He was sitting at the table, digging into a slab of beef, when Ben walked in the front door. "How was the meeting, Pa?" Hoss called from the table.

"Ok." Ben grunted in answer as he hung up his hat and put his gun belt onto the table. "How'd you make out on that fence?"

"Good. I almost have it finished." Hoss replied as Ben walked into the dining room. "Just as soon as I finish this, I'll be back out there."

"That's good to hear." Ben replied.

The sound of horses reached his ears and Ben frowned. "I wonder who that could be?" He said walking towards the door. He opened it and walked onto the porch. A wagon was driving into the yard, pulled by two black horses.

The wagon stopped and Ben walked up to it, Hoss following behind him. A man sat on the wagon seat and woman in a shawl beside him. The man was dark skinned and wore a dark shirt covered by a red vest.

"Greetings!" The man called out as he swung down from the wagon seat. "Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"I'm Ben Cartwright and this is my son, Hoss." Ben replied introducing himself.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cartwright." The man said. "My name is Pablo and this is my daughter." He motioned to the woman beside him. The woman nodded gently. Her head and upper body were covered by a large white shawl. Her green eyes stood out and Hoss thought he had seen those eyes before.

"We are travelling artists from overseas and we are passing through on our way to California." Pablo continued.

"Ah, I see." Ben said. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering who owns this fair land?" Pablo asked.

"I do." Ben said. "The Pondarosa we call it."

"Ah! Well, in that case, would you mind if me and my people camped on your land for a couple nights?" Pablo asked. "We won't be here long." He assured Ben. "We just need a quiet place to practice our music, away from the distractions of town life."

"No, I don't see any problem with that." Ben replied. "Where'd you have in mind?"

"A couple miles east of here." Pablo said. "It is a nice spot. Just right for us."

Ben nodded. The east was one of the more pretty spots in the Pondarosa. "That's fine with me." He said. "Stay as long as you need."

"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright." Pablo said with a smile; his white teeth bold in his dark face. "But we shan't stay longer then three nights at the most. Thank you again for your hospitality." He swung back into the wagon and slapped the rains on the back of the horses.

Ben stepped back and watched the wagon leave their yard.

o0o

Later that day as the sun was starting to set; Adam was riding along the east-ridge on his way back to the ranch, when he heard music coming from the grassy area to his right.

Frowning, he rained Sport and went to investigate. It didn't sound like a squatter's music, it was better then that. This was actual music, not the racket everyone insisted was music.

The trees blocked him and so Adam dismounted. He tied Sport to a tree branch and walked the rest of the way on foot. He stayed far enough back in the trees to go unnoticed. A fire had been lit and around it where gathered men and woman. The men all had some kind of instrument in their hands and that's where the music was coming from.

The music was haunting, but still had enough liveliness to dance too, which was what some of the woman were doing. Eventually, the music changed to a more upbeat tune and the woman fell away, letting one lone dancer continue.

She was younger then the rest and her black hair swirled around her as she moved quickly to the music. She was also lighter skinned and had definitely not been born overseas. The group gathered around the fire shouted encouragements to her. She kept on dancing, spinning faster and faster; the firelight flickering on her energetic figure. It made for one amazing display and Adam felt himself drawn to it.

The music seemed to go on forever. Finally, the girl turned once last time and then the music abruptly stopped. The girl stood there for a moment, her hair settling around her face and then she looked right at Adam; her green eyes dancing in the firelight.

Adam was sure she would call out or inform someone that he was there, but she didn't. Her fiery green eyes continued to stare at him. After what felt like an eternity, she looked away, turning back to the group gathered around the fire. They started to disperse and Adam turned to leave. A rustle of bushes came to his right and he looked to see one of the women from the camp step in front of him.

She was older, darker; her dark hair already turning grey and deep lines framing her face. She must have been very beautiful when she was younger.

She spoke urgently to him. "Please. You must leave, now." She looked behind her as if someone was following her.

Adam was about to tell her that he was already going, when she turned back to him and spoke again. "It's not safe here." She hissed in a low tone.

"Why?" Adam asked. "What are you afraid of?"

The woman looked scared. "Not now." She said. "He'll be looking for me." She took a step back. "Tell your family to stay away from Tara, and this camp." Then she was gone, back the way she had come.

Adam frowned as she disappeared. Why was she so afraid for them? And who in the world was Tara?

o0o

That night at supper, the entire Cartwright clan was there. Joe had gotten back late from chasing strays. Somehow, the fence had broken -the same fence that Hoss had fixed that afternoon- and some of their cows had escaped.

They were eating quietly when Hoss snapped his fingers. "That's it." He said. "I knew I had seen her somewhere before!"

Ben, Adam and Joe all stopped eating and looked at Hoss with confusion.

"Seen who, Hoss?" Joe asked.

"The woman that was sitting on the wagon this afternoon." Hoss replied.

Joe and Adam looked at each other and then to Ben in confusion.

"Oh, that's right." Ben said setting down his fork. "Adam, Joe, I forgot to tell you that I allowed some travelling musicians to stay in the east pasture for a few days."

"Some?" Adam asked. "How many are we talking about here?"

"From what Pablo said, I would guess… a dozen? Maybe more?" Ben said. "I didn't really think to ask. They're only going to be there for a couple nights."

"Well, I'd say there are more then a dozen." Adam said. "More like twenty."

"Did you see them?" Ben asked.

Adam nodded. "I came through there on my way home."

"Then you must have seen the girl." Hoss said excitedly.

"No. I didn't." Adam replied mildly.

"You didn't?" Hoss asked in confusion.

"No." Adam repeated. "I saw only woman and men. They were in the middle of practising their music and one of the women was dancing."

"This woman…. Did she have long, black hair? Worn loose?" Hoss asked.

Adam nodded. "Come to think of it, yes. She did."

"There!" Hoss said triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"What exactly does this woman look like?" Joe asked.

"She's about your age, Joe." Hoss said. "With long black hair, but she wears it loose and she has these green eyes that almost spark at you."

"She's also not a gypsy." Adam interrupted, putting his cup down.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked with a frown.

"All the other musicians or whatever they call themselves, are darker skinned then she is." Adam explained. "I'd imagine she was born somewhere here and then travelled to… Where did they say they came from?"

"They didn't." Ben said.

"What's so special about this girl, Hoss?" Joe asked.

"I don't know." Hoss admitted. "Her eyes just looked kind of sad, you know?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Course when that cowhand grabbed her, I was the one only one who did anything about it. I guess I just feel responsible somehow."

"Why?" Adam asked. "You weren't the one stupid enough to force her to dance in front if all those men." His tone was sharp, indicating what he thought of men who forced woman to do those sorts of things.

"Let's just let them have their space, alright?" Ben interjected quickly. "They'll be gone in few days and Virginia City will forget that they ever existed. Now, let's talk about our own affairs for once. Adam, how'd you do with those cattle from Crossings?"

Hoss only half listened to Adam's reply; his mind was still on the girl. He knew that Pa was right and that it was none of his business, but something nagged at him. Something didn't feel quite right.

o0o

Later that night, when the moon was covered by the clouds, the front door to the Cartwright's house eased open and one of the gypsies entered the entrance. He was a young man of Spanish descent. His feet, softly clad in moccasins, were silent on the hardwood floor. His greedy dark eyes glanced around, looking for what he might take, might steal.

Carefully he crept into the living room and looked over the books that Adam had left beside the armchair. A soft step at the door made him turn to see Tara standing in the doorway. Carlos made a flicking motion at her with one hand. _Go away._

She shook her head and walked soundlessly across the floor on her bare feet to stand beside him. He ignored her and made for the china cabinet.

"Carlos! No!" She exclaimed in a low whisper, grabbing at his arm. "They are good people. Please, do not do this again."

"Stay out of this, Tara!" Carlos hissed at her. "You know nothing of our ways!"

"I know enough!" Tara hissed back at him. "I know that this is wrong! In any culture!"

"Go back and practice your dancing." Carlos retorted shaking her off. "Leave a man to his work or else I'll tell your father that you are involved with one of these machos." Carlos threatened.

Tara took a step back, momentary shocked at the lengths Carlos would go to satisfy his greed. Then she grabbed for his arm again. "No! I will not let you."

"Let go, woman!" Carlo hissed as he shoved her away from him. Tara's bare foot caught on the rug and she fell backwards, hitting her head on the table as she fell.

The thud was enough to wake someone upstairs and as footsteps came from overhead; Carlos froze for a moment, not too sure what to do. Then he bolted, running out the door, leaving it open behind him.

"Hey! You there!" Ben shouted from the top of the stairs. He had come to the landing just in time to see Carlos dart out the door. He hurried down the stairs and then to the front door. But by the time Ben got there, the man he had seen was long gone.

Adam, Hoss and Joe were all awake by now and they came down the stairs all in different states of undress.

"What is it, Pa?" Adam asked.

"A burglar." Ben said in disgust as he shut the door. "No doubt after our china." He turned back towards the stairs and then froze. A girl lay on the floor, her long dark hair spread out like a curtain above her. It looked like she had fallen.

Hoss, with a frown on his face, stepped down a couple more stairs. He was followed by Adam. Hoss's eyes widened as he recognized the girl he had met at the Silver Dollar.


	2. Chapter 2

o0o

Chapter 2

Ben walked down the stairs. Adam, Hoss and Joe all stood from their chairs as he came into the living room.

"How is she, Pa?" Hoss asked.

"Awake." Ben answered. "But I'd imagine she'll need plenty of rest before she feels up to telling us what happened."

"Was she the one who was stealing from us?" Joe asked.

Ben shook his head. "No. I saw a man run out the front door."

"Yeah, but she could have been helping him." Joe protested.

"It doesn't do any good to speculate." Ben admonished his youngest son. "We'll just wait until she's ready to talk to us." Ben looked around and then frowned. "Where's Adam?"

Hoss and Joe looked around the room.

"He was right here a moment ago." Hoss said, a frown also creasing his face.

While Hoss, Joe and Ben had been talking, Adam had slipped upstairs to the guest bedroom. As they had been waiting, his mind had been churning with everything that he knew about the gypsies. He had a hunch.

Adam opened the door and the young woman spun away from the open window. Her expression was guilty and Adam knew what she had been attempting to do.

"It's a long way down." Adam informed her as he shut the door behind him.

"I'll risk it." The woman replied wrapping her hands in her shawl.

"You could just use the front door." Adam suggested walking closer to her.

"Would you let me go that easily?" She asked her chin coming up in a defensive gesture.

"Not without getting some answers first." Adam replied looking down at her. Her green eyes were shooting sparks, but after a moment, she lowered her head and spoke quietly.

"What are your questions?" Her tone was softer and now had a lilting to it that Adam found intriguing.

"Why don't we start with your name," Adam said. "It's Tara, right?"

Her head came up quickly. "How do you know that?" Her voice was full of surprise and distrust.

"I'm asking the questions at the moment." Adam replied mildly.

Tara inclined her head, conceding to him. "I assume you will want to know now why I was in your house last night."

"The thought had crossed my mind." Adam replied crossing his arms.

"I was not stealing." Tara assured him. "That's all I can say at the moment."

"And if that isn't good enough?" Adam asked.

"Then you can call the Sheriff." Tara replied. "But from what I have heard of your family, I doubt you will lock me up over such a small charge."

She had effectively called his bluff. Adam looked at her in amusement. This woman wasn't just a pretty face. She collected and used information just as well as Roy did.

"One last thing and then you can go." Adam said controlling his amusement. "What will happen if we don't stay away from the camp?"

Tara's aloof manner vanished. "Whoever told you to keep away was doing you a favour." There was genuine fear in her voice.

"Don't give me any of that gypsy's hocus pocus." Adam returned annoyance in his voice. "I want the truth."

Outside, footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

Tara hesitated, eyes darting towards the closed door. She spoke rapidly. "My people are used to privacy. We do not share our lives with outsiders. Men like you have been killed over less. Please! Stay away!"

Her whispered warning was hissed just in time before the door opened and Ben filled the doorway. His eyes darted from Tara to Adam. "What's going on here?" He asked with a small frown.

"Nothing, Pa." Adam assured his father. "She was just telling me what happened. Her name is Tara."

o0o

Towards the eastern side of the Pondarosa where the gypsies were camped, a long figure stood aloof from the wagons and watched the sun crept towards the middle of the deep blue sky.

Pablo shaded his eyes and looked towards the west. The direction he knew Ben Cartwright's house to be. Seeing nothing, he lowered his hand and placed his hat back on his head. His wife of fifteen years come to stand beside him, shawl draped around her upper body.

"She will be back." Marla assured him, touching Pablo's arm.

"To be gone all night is not like her." Pablo grumbled.

"She is young." Marla argued softly. "You do remember what is what like. She needs to be free, free as the deer."

"But not with an outsider." Pablo growled shaking his arm loose from his wife's grip.

Marla let him pull away, but was careful not to let him see her hurt expression. "We will have to tell her sooner or later. Pablo, those are her people!"

"They abandoned her!" Pablo hissed. "We are her family now and she will have to adhere to our rules or be banished."

Marla covered her mouth in horror, but before she could say anything, Tara came running towards them from the south. Her long dark hair streamed behind her like a ribbon in the wind.

"Daughter!" Pablo called as she got closer. He caught her by the arms. "Where have you been?"

"Watching the stars, Father." Tara replied. "The sky was beautiful last night and I could not resist. I'm sorry."

"You do not need to be sorry." Pablo responded. "I'm glad to have you back." Wrapping an arm around Tara's shoulders, he started to lead her back to the camp.

Tara turned back and caught Marla's eye. Marla's smile conveyed her relief at having her back, but deep down inside she knew that her adopted daughter had lied and that worried her. Tara had never lied to them before.

o0o

The small town was busy the next day and Hoss had been sent on a few errands; errands that were taking far longer then expected. He was surprised to see Tara and few other of the foreigners from the camp at one of the stories.

Tara was different then the last time he'd met her. She was quiet, submissive. She caught his eye and placed a finger over her lips before turning to follow her father. She obviously didn't want anyone to know that she knew him.

Hoss didn't understand, but was prepared to respect her wishes. Since the night, she'd been found on the floor of their living room, she'd bumped into Hoss four more times. Twice more at the Saloon, once at the barn as she'd brought back a wayward house, and another time when he'd been riding fence.

He liked her. She was fun, spunky, and different then the other girls around the town and ranch. But she was reserved and that worried him.

As fate or luck might have it, he was the only one close enough to hear what one of the men said.

He recognized Tara and was commenting on how he knew her. "You've been hanging around with one of those Cartwright boys, haven't ya? Well you could do worse. They're a big deal around here and no so bad looking the ladies say." He chuckled and left for his horse.

"Is this true?" Pablo asked turning to face his daughter.

Tara hesitated for a moment and then it burst out of her. "Yes, but Papa...!"

Pablo hide his face from her and when he looked back, Hoss saw that the man was angry, very angry. "You dare spend time with those people." He hissed. "And then lie to your papa about it?"

"But Carlos..."

Tara was once again cut off as Pablo turned away from her. "You must be banished." He said quietly. "I told your mother this would happen. She did not want to listen to me."

"Papa!" Tara's outcry had several people looking in this direction, but Pablo ignored them as he turned his back on his daughter. Tara ran after her father, and grabbed him by the hand. He grabbed her wrist and took the bracelets from her arm forcefully.

"No." He told her firmly. "You are no longer one of us. You can stay with them if you want to be one of them so badly."

Shock and surprise made her stand still as Pablo got up onto his horse and buggy. With a gentle slap of the reins, an action that would have made someone second guess his actions a few minutes ago with his now un-daughter, the buggy moved out of town.

As the dust settled, Tara was left standing in the middle of the street alone. The few people that had stopped and stared, started to walk away. Hoss was the only one who walked towards her.

"Can I do anything?" Hoss offered.

Tara raised her chin, trying to be brave irregardless of the tears that were rolling down her face. "Yes. You can take me back to the camp."

o0o

There was only one horse for the two of them. But that didn't seem to matter. Tara was small and slight and nearly no weight behind him. Hoss second guessed taking a lady on a horse in such a manner, but Tara was quick to assure him that it wouldn't be the first time she had done such a thing.

He should've guessed. She wasn't an ordinary lady at all.

It took them almost an hour to ride back to the Pondarosa and to the field where the gypsies had camped. There was no fire, no people, and no wagons.

Tara slide off the horse and looked around at the empty space. "They've left." She said quietly, almost to herself. "They've left me."

"I'm sorry." Hoss said.

Tara looked up at him and he was surprised not to see any tears in her dark eyes. "Yes. Well. They did what they had to do."

"They had to abandon you?" Hoss shook his head. "I don't believe that. Your papa could have made a choice, he didn't have to leave you like you, why I..." He stopped.

Tara was shaking her head. "You don't understand. I don't understand." She admitted. She walked forward and picked up something from the grass. It was a book.

"No, I don't understand." Hoss replied. "I can't understand why your family would just abandoned you like this! And for what? All you did was talk to a few folks. I can't help feeling like this is my fault, but at the same time I just can't understand why your family would do some thing like this."

"I warned you alright?" Tara told him, spinning to face him. "I warned your brother when he found me after that night. From his reaction, someone else warned him too. You don't get involved with my people. You don't try to understand them, you don't try to befriend them, you just stay away from them.

We're cursed. Bad things happen when outsiders get involved. I was foolish to think nothing would happen; foolish to think the rule didn't apply to me!"

She tucked the book under her arm and sobbed. "I guess now I have nothing." She turned her back on him and picked up another book, still crying.

Hoss sighed. "I'm sorry for getting angry. You don't have nothing. You'll come back to the house with me. My pa will know what to do."


	3. Chapter 3

o0o

Chapter 3

Hoss took Tara back to the house and borrowed some clothing and then sent her upstairs to change as Ben came in the front door.

"Who was that?" Ben asked, hanging up his hat on the peg by the door.

Hoss shoved some coffee across the table at his father in the dining room before he explained what had happened that afternoon in town and the fact that the gypsies had left.

"I'm not in the habit of taking in strays." Ben said after he had finished. "I know it sounds harsh, son; but we're not a boarding house. We need to know if she has any living relatives. She can't stay here forever."

"An aunt."

Both men looked up to see Tara descending from the stairs. Her clothes had been replaced with a skirt and shirt; making her look more like a woman then a young girl. Her hair was pinned up and she picked up her skirts as she navigated the stairs. They both started to stand.

"No please." She motioned them back into their chairs as she finished coming down the stairs. "I remember someone mentioning something about my mother's sister. She could be dead; I'm not sure." She bit her lower lip, making her look younger once again.

"I'll look into it." Ben said. "But in the meantime, I expect you to earn your keep, young lady. And I don't mean by dancing in a saloon. There are better things to occupy your time."

Tara nodded, her head lowered.

"She didn't have a choice, Pa." Hoss told his father quietly. "I'll take her out to the barn." He offered. "There's a few horses that could use some attention. Your small hands will do better then mine." He told Tara.

The two of them left the house and Ben went to send a hired man to the sheriff's office.

o0o

"Thank you."

Hoss looked around the horse's chest to Tara. It was the first time she'd spoken in a hour. She wasn't looking at him; her dark head was bent as her small hands were busy rubbing the salve on the horse's pastern.

"Not a problem." Hoss replied. His large hand stroked the horse's side. "I couldn't exactly leave you out there by yourself."

"It wouldn't have been the first time." Tara told him, looking up briefly to give him a small smile. "Pass more of that salve, please."

Hoss did as she asked and not for the first time, he wondered what her life had been life growing up. It sounded to nothing like the life he and his brothers had known.

o0o

A few weeks later, both Hoss and Tara were called into Ben's office on the ground floor. Things had settled nicely into a routine, even though Hop Sing had banned Tara from the kitchen. Both the gypsy girl and the man from China has differing opinions on how the cooking should be done and they'd quickly learned that it was better to give Hop Sing his kitchen.

Tara had kept to other areas of the house and on occasion, given Hoss help in the barn with a few of the horses. They had a foal a few days ago.

Today, they'd been out in the barn with the new mother and the foal. Hoss held his hat in his hands, looking pensive. Tara had her hands in the fold of her dress. Ben looked up at the two of them.

"I've managed to locate your aunt." He told Tara without mincing words.

She looked shocked. "She's alive? They lied to me; my parents lied to me." She whispered, lowering herself to the chair behind her. Her hand played with the folds of her dress. After a moment, she looked up at Ben. "Where is she, my aunt?"

"Fortunately, she lives here in town. She moved here a few years ago so there was no reason that your parents would've known she lived here."

"When can I see her?" Tara almost interrupted in her haste. "I appreciate everything you have done for me, but my aunt..."

"Tomorrow." Hoss interrupted. He looked up at his father. "I'll take you first thing in the morning."

Ben inclined his head. "Tomorrow is fine." He agreed.

o0o

The house was fairly large for a single woman, but the sign on the door regarding rooms for rent made the size make sense. Tara stood looking at the front door as Hoss tied the horse and wagon to the hitching post.

She had twisted her hands in her skirts by the time Hoss had finished and came to stand beside her. "I'm a little frightened." She admitted quietly. She looked up at him. "What if there was a reason..." She stopped speaking and took a deep breath.

Hoss thought about saying something, but didn't.

"We're going in." She said finally, letting go of her skirts and walking towards the door. They passed a man coming out and the door was held open for them. Tara walked into an entrance way with hooks and shoe racks lining the walls. The parlour was to the right and a woman sat in an armchair, darning a sock.

She looked up and noticed them in the doorway. The sock fell from her hands. "As I live and breathe..." She gasped and then smiled. She held out a hand towards Tara. "You're the splitting image of my sister, Denise."

"She was my mother." Tara replied stepping forward towards the woman.

"I thought it might be you." The woman motioned her closer. "Please, come and sit. Bring your friend in with you as well."

"Hoss Cartwright, ma'am." He told her, taking off his hat and following Tara further into the room.

Felicity smiled. "Of course. That kind man's son."

Tara took the seat closest to her aunt, who turned to face her; darning forgotten in her lap. "I want to start slow, Tara, but I have so many questions. What happened to you? And the gypsies...? What did they do to you?"

"I don't understand. They adopted..."

"Child, they stole you from me." Felicity said, kindly. She reached over to place her hand on her niece's arm. "Once your parents died, I looked for you but they'd taken you before I had a chance to do anything about it. I assumed you were lost to me. Until Mr Cartwright showed up the other day and told me where you were."

"Please." Tara's hands were twisted in her skirt again. "I need to know more about how my parents died."

"Of course." Felicity took her hand off Tara's arm and held on to her darning needles. She looked up at Hoss. "This may take some time. There is provisions in the kitchen if you want them."

"No, ma'am." Hoss replied. He replaced his hat on his head. "I'll just go and see to the horses. Let me know if you want to return to the house." He told Tara before leaving the parlour.

O0o

Two days later, and Tara was ready to move in with her aunt. They'd had a good long talk that day in the parlour and it had been decided that it would be best for her to move in as soon as possible. Both Tara and her aunt were giddy. Despite being almost as old as his father, there was a lightness to Felicity that Hoss had started to see since she'd gotten her niece back.

Hoss loaded the little case of the possessions that Tara had gathered during her time spent with them, a few dresses and a couple of old books, into the wagon. They had agreed to a picnic with the other two boys before heading to Felicity's place.

Both of them were quiet during the wagon ride out to the lake. And neither of them spoke until Hoss stopped the wagon. He tied the horses to a tree and then helped her down from the wagon.

"I guess this is good-bye." Hoss said. He didn't know what else to say and even what he said sounded funny.

Tara took his big hand in her small one and looked up at him. "You have a soft heart, Hoss. I'm glad of it. If it wasn't for you, I would have never been able find my aunt. You're a good friend; thank you."

She dropped his hand as the other two men came back from getting the blanket set up in their special spot.

"We're ready." Joe announced.

It took them another few minutes to get to the spot and all of them were quiet still. The mood was turning quite glum. Hoss and Adam sat down, throwing their long legs out in front of them. No one spoke.

"You all are quieter then a funeral." Tara told them firmly. "You need some fun!"

She quickly snatched the hat from Joe's head as he was about to sit down and ran off with it. She laughed gaily as Joe took chase after her.

Gazing at the scene in front of him, Adam couldn't help but smile. Hoss had a big goofy grin on his face as he watched the two youngest run through the grass. Joe was fast, but Tara was faster; her long hair streamed behind her as she skipped just out of Joe's reach, bringing them full circle back to Adam and Hoss.

Panting from the run, Tara threw herself down on the blanket; throwing Joe's hat at him as he came up behind her. Joe caught the desired object and jammed it back on his head.

"You run like a deer!" Joe exclaimed.

"Or a gypsy." Tara returned with a smile. "The boots slow you down, străin." She laughed at the confused expression on Joe's face at the unfamiliar word.

"It means outsider, Joe." Adam told his younger brother accurately translating the Romanian word.

Tara turned to him with a wondering expression on her face, all laughter gone. "Where did you learn that?" She wanted to know.

Now it was Adam's turn to smile at her. "I picked up a few words here and there from a Romanian trader that used to come around when I was a kid. He used to call Pa outsider as a joke."

"You must have a good memory to remember such a small thing so many years later." Tara said.

Joe rolled his eyes at Hoss. Adam was doing it again; flirting with the pretty girl. "What's to eat?" He asked hoping to interrupt the moment. He was successful. Tara rolled onto her knees and peered into the basket while Adam returned to setting out the plates.

Hoss rubbed his hands hungrily. "I sure hope Hop Sing remembered to pack some of that fried chicken. Mmmm Hmm! I can almost taste it now!"

"Do you mean this?" Tara asked handing a carefully wrapped package to Hoss.

He took one whiff and screwed up his face. "Phew! What is that?"

"Green beans." Joe said. "Your favourite."

Hoss shot him a death glare. "They are not. Sinks like a rotting swamp that does."

Joe sniffed the package and drew back. "Whew! Smells like someone poured vinegar on it."

"I believe that was to keep you out of the chicken." Adam said wisely, as he reached over and took one of the carefully wrapped packets of fried chicken from the basket.

Tara looked at Joe and tried to control a grin, but failed. Joe grinned back and then two of then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The End

A/N: Thus end my little tale! I could've written more, but this story has been knocking around my computer for far too long. I apologise if FF hasn't fixed all the errors. Certainly not my cleanest posted story to date!


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